In October 2011, the Cubs agreed to a five-year contract with Theo Epstein, naming him the president of baseball operations. Epstein assembled a team, including GM Jed Hoyer, and went through the process of rebuilding Cubs baseball from the bottom up.

The year after Epstein was hired, the Cubs lost 101 games. But the Cubs win total has gone up each season since then, culminating in 2016 with their first 100+ win season since 1935.

In the last five years the Cubs have completely turned over their major league roster from 2011, and only two current players (Anthony Rizzo and Travis Wood) played for the Cubs in 2012. A small portion of players on the roster were acquired before Epstein's hire, but the vast majority of the current Cubs were drafted, signed or traded for by Epstein and Hoyer.

How current Cubs joined the roster

With impact measured by wins above replacement

Wins Above Replacement

in 2016

8

Kris Bryant

7.7

7

DRAFT

Selected in the

Amateur or

Rule 5 drafts

5 players

Combined

WAR:

9.2

6

Anthony

Rizzo

5.7

Jon Lester

5.2

TRADE

5

Kyle

Hendricks

4.9

Acquired via

trade

15 players

Combined

WAR:

23.5

Addison

Russell

4.3

4

FREE AGENT

3

Signed as

free agents

13 players

Combined

WAR:

21.3

2

BEFORE

1

Acquired prior

to Theo Epstein

joining the Cubs

5 players

Combined

WAR:

5.4

0

-1

Wins Above Replacement

in 2016

8

Kris Bryant

7.7

7

DRAFT

Selected in the

Amateur or

Rule 5 drafts

5 players

Combined

WAR:

9.2

6

Anthony

Rizzo

5.7

Jon Lester

5.2

TRADE

5

Kyle

Hendricks

4.9

Acquired via

trade

15 players

Combined

WAR:

23.5

Addison

Russell

4.3

4

FREE

AGENT

3

Signed as

free agents

13 players

Combined

WAR:

21.3

2

BEFORE

1

Acquired

prior to

Theo Epstein

joining the

Cubs

5 players

Combined

WAR:

5.4

0

-1

Cubs transaction history

Listed players include those who appeared in at least 10 games for the Cubs from 2011-15, and every player who has appeared in a single game for the Cubs in 2016

Dave Sappelt

Travis Wood

Sean Marshall

Joe Mather

Chris Volstad

Traded Carlos Zambrano and cash to the Miami Marlins. Received Chris Volstad.

Carlos Zambrano

Jan. 6, 2012

Anthony Rizzo

Traded Kyung-Min Na (minors) and Andrew Cashner to the San Diego Padres. Received Zach Cates (minors) and Anthony Rizzo.

Jan. 10, 2012

Paul Maholm

Signed as a free agent.

Jan. 13, 2012

Kerry Wood

Signed as a free agent.

Jan. 19, 2012

Rodrigo Lopez

Signed as a free agent.

Feb. 6, 2012

Adrian Cardenas

Selected Adrian Cardenas off waivers from the Oakland Athletics.

Feb. 21, 2012

Traded a player to be named later and Chris Carpenter to the Boston Red Sox. Received a player to be named later. The Chicago Cubs sent Aaron Kurcz (minors) (March 15, 2012) to the Boston Red Sox to complete the trade. The Boston Red Sox sent Jair Bogaerts (minors) (March 29, 2012) to the Chicago Cubs to complete the trade.

Chris Carpenter

March 11, 2012

Gerardo Concepcion

Signed as an amateur free agent

March 26, 2012

Shawn Camp

Signed as a free agent.

April 4, 2012

Luis Valbuena

Selected Luis Valbuena off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays

April 21, 2012

Michael Bowden

Traded Marlon Byrd and cash to the Boston Red Sox. Received a player to be named later and Michael Bowden. The Boston Red Sox sent Hunter Cervenka (minors) (May 15, 2012) to the Chicago Cubs to complete the trade.

Reed Johnson

Paul Maholm

Kyle Hendricks

Ryan Dempster

July 31, 2012

Traded Geovany Soto to the Texas Rangers. Received Jake Brigham and player to be named or cash.

Geovany Soto

Aug. 5, 2012

Traded Jeff Baker to the Detroit Tigers. Received players to be named later. The Detroit Tigers sent Marcelo Carreno (minors) (Oct. 16, 2012) and cash (Oct. 16, 2012) to the Chicago Cubs to complete the trade.

Jeff Baker

Aug. 29, 2012

Scott Maine selected by the Cleveland Indians off waivers

Scott Maine

Oct. 4, 2012

Granted free agency.

Blake DeWitt

Oct. 4, 2012

Granted free agency.

Randy Wells

Oct. 26, 2012

Granted free agency.

Manny Corpas

Oct. 26, 2012

Chris Volstad selected by the Kansas City Royals off waivers

Chris Volstad

Oct. 29, 2012

Granted free agency.

Shawn Camp

Oct. 29, 2012

Granted free agency.

Justin Germano

Oct. 31, 2012

Granted free agency.

Joe Mather

Nov. 3, 2012

Granted free agency.

Adrian Cardenas

Nov. 3, 2012

Granted free agency.

Rodrigo Lopez

Nov. 3, 2012

Granted free agency.

Blake Parker

Nov. 3, 2012

Granted free agency.

Jairo Asencio

Nov. 7, 2012

Blake Parker

Signed as a free agent.

Nov. 13, 2012

Alberto Gonzalez

Signed as a free agent.

Nov. 14, 2012

Brian Bogusevic

Signed as a free agent.

Nov. 16, 2012

Dioner Navarro

Signed as a free agent.

Nov. 19, 2012

Shawn Camp

Signed as a free agent.

Nov. 21, 2012

Released Bryan LaHair

Bryan LaHair

Nov. 27, 2012

Scott Feldman

Signed as a free agent.

Nov. 30, 2012

Granted free agency.

Jaye Chapman

Nov. 30, 2012

Granted free agency.

Ian Stewart

Dec. 6, 2012

Hector Rondon

Drafted Hector Rondon from the Cleveland Indians in the 2012 Rule 5 draft

Ian Stewart

Jake Arrieta

Pedro Strop

Steve Clevenger

Scott Feldman

Matt Guerrier

Traded Carlos Marmol and cash to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Matt Guerrier.

Carlos Marmol

July 7, 2013

Released Shawn Camp.

Shawn Camp

July 8, 2013

Traded Scott Hairston, cash and player to be named to the Washington Nationals. Received Ivan Pineyro (minors) and player to be named.

Scott Hairston

July 13, 2013

Cole Gillespie

Selected Cole Gillespie off waivers from the San Francisco Giants.

July 22, 2013

Carl Edwards Jr.

Justin Grimm

Mike Olt

Neil Ramirez

Traded Matt Garza to the Texas Rangers. Received a player to be named later, Carl Edwards, Justin Grimm and Mike Olt. The Texas Rangers sent Neil Ramirez (Aug. 23, 2013) to the Chicago Cubs to complete the trade.

Matt Garza

July 26, 2013

Traded Alfonso Soriano and cash to the New York Yankees. Received Corey Black (minors).

Alfonso Soriano

Aug. 19, 2013

Sold David DeJesus to the Washington Nationals.

David DeJesus

Sept. 16, 2013

Released Cody Ransom.

Cody Ransom

Oct. 1, 2013

Granted free agency.

Michael Bowden

Oct. 15, 2013

Granted free agency.

Darnell McDonald

Oct. 31, 2013

Granted free agency.

Kevin Gregg

Oct. 31, 2013

Granted free agency.

Matt Guerrier

Oct. 31, 2013

Granted free agency.

Dioner Navarro

Nov. 5, 2013

Granted free agency.

Jaye Chapman

Nov. 5, 2013

Granted free agency.

Rafael Dolis

Nov. 5, 2013

Granted free agency.

Cole Gillespie

Nov. 19, 2013

Chris Valaika

Signed as a free agent.

Nov. 19, 2013

Released Dave Sappelt.

Dave Sappelt

Nov. 22, 2013

Darnell McDonald

Signed as a free agent.

Dec. 12, 2013

Julio Borbon drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2013 Rule 5 draft.

Julio Borbon

Dec. 12, 2013

Marcos Mateo drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2013 Rule 5 draft.

Marcos Mateo

Dec. 12, 2013

Justin Ruggiano

Traded Brian Bogusevic to the Miami Marlins. Received Justin Ruggiano.

Brian Bogusevic

Dec. 16, 2013

Wesley Wright

Signed as a free agent.

Dec. 18, 2013

John Baker

Signed as a free agent.

Dec. 18, 2013

Ryan Kalish

Signed as a free agent.

Dec. 27, 2013

Jose Veras

Signed as a free agent.

Jan. 20, 2014

Chris Coghlan

Signed as a free agent.

Jan. 24, 2014

Tsuyoshi Wada

Signed as a free agent.

Feb. 13, 2014

Jason Hammel

Signed as a free agent.

Feb. 15, 2014

Emilio Bonifacio

Signed as a free agent.

March 12, 2014

Marcos Mateo

The Arizona Diamondbacks returned Marcos Mateo (earlier draft pick).

March 23, 2014

Granted free agency.

Tsuyoshi Wada

March 25, 2014

Tsuyoshi Wada

Signed as a free agent.

March 26, 2014

Donnie Murphy selected by the Texas Rangers off waivers.

Donnie Murphy

April 2, 2014

Released Darnell McDonald.

Darnell McDonald

April 14, 2014

Released Casey Coleman.

Casey Coleman

June 5, 2014

Kyle Schwarber

Drafted Kyle Schwarber in the 1st round (4th pick) of the 2014 amateur draft. Player signed June 10, 2014.

June 10, 2014

Released Jose Veras.

Jose Veras

July 5, 2014

Addison Russell

Jason Hammel

Jeff Samardzija

July 28, 2014

Traded Darwin Barney and cash to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Received a player to be named later. The Los Angeles Dodgers sent Jonathan Martinez (minors) (July 30, 2014) to the Chicago Cubs to complete the trade.

Darwin Barney

July 31, 2014

Traded Emilio Bonifacio, James Russell and cash to the Atlanta Braves. Received Victor Caratini (minors).